Inventory 1976



Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 186.5 x 163.4
signed and dated [on reverse: ‘Howard Arkley 76’]
The Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art, Perth

This painting, apparently first documented when it was shown in the Arkley survey at Monash in 1991, is one of several related works: see now Untitled [Inventory variant] (1976?) and Inventory (1975). For detailed analysis of this version, acquired for the Wesfarmers Collection shortly before Arkley’s death, see Carnival 96, and the NGVA audio-guide prepared for the 2006 Arkley retrospective.

Provenance

  • artist’s collection (described thus in 1991)
  • acquired by Wesfarmers, April 1999, via Bellas Gallery, Brisbane (details via Wesfarmers)

Exhibited

  • HA Monash 1991, cat.12 (as coll.artist)
  • AGWA, Perth, Oct. 2002 and then touring 2002-4 (‘Sublime’)
  • HA retrospective 2006-7 (all 3 venues)

Literature

  • Carroll et al. 2002 (‘Sublime’exh.cat.), 88 (ill.) and 131
  • Carnival 96 and Fig.3.12 (photo courtesy Wesfarmers)
  • Smith 2006: 6 (ill.)
  • NGVA Arkley audio-guide 2006 (comments by Ray Edgar, John Gregory, Chris McAuliffe and Jason Smith)